A Comb foe a Water-Haas. 
223 
491. In the evening' we reached the lonely house on the Kukenam, 
spent the night there, and resumed our journey next day at sunrise so 
that already by 11 o'clock in the morning we had struck Barapang settle- 
ment. In spite of a bad attack of fever, some Irresistible force drew me 
to the Eue-imeru. For hours I felt as if chained to the spot by invisible 
ibands : to say good-bye to the imposing grandeur of this scenery, which 
yet had such an infinite amount of loveliness and l)eauty about it, proved 
so diflScult that with each postponed leave-taking I had always to hold 
back and take still another last look, until finally the setting sun re- 
minded me in earnest that I must get back to Barapang. 
492. As our companions were unanimous in their opinion that the 
descent of the steep rocky wall of the Humirida would be attended with 
far more difiiculties and dangers than its ascent, w^e gladly fell in with 
their suggestion to turn more towards the S.W. to the large Arekuna 
village Carakitta, where we ought to find a quantity of bread and fruit. 
493. Before starting in the morning I was again offered a waterhaas, 
a tame young one: I gave a comb for it, and let one of t^-^e boys carry it 
on the road. On my return from Ruöimeru yesterday they had brought 
me a dead one, the flesh of which was quite tasty : the largest portion of 
it, however, I gave to the Indians as a present for cleaning the skeleton. 
494. After leaving Barapang and once more descending into the 
valley of the Kukenam which we followed for a long time, we reached 
an isolated house amongst the occupants of which our attention was 
particularly attracted to tlie perfect figure, faultless proportions and 
singular decorations of a young man. Immediately above the ankles he 
had wound liuman hair twine around his legs into a band about two 
hands' brearlths wide: a simibir ornament adorned his arms above the 
wrist, and the enK>ws: the Matui">a, also of human hair, was broader and 
thicker, than T linvo ever seen anywlu^ro on an Indian. Afcovding to 
these outward signs- tlie otherwise gloomy-looking young man, whose 
features moreover were marked with deep melancholy, must be one of 
the heroes of the tril>e. We asked him to accom]>any us, but he refused: 
even among primitive men odd characters are to be found. Besides a 
"cast" Bon comtrietor skin well over 20 ft. long that had been found in 
the forest without an owner, and a few damaged pelts of the Crhus, we 
Were oifered several fresh cassava cakes which we accepted with sincere 
thanks . 
495. The ])ath next led to a large shady woodland with trees sky- 
high, and we soon stood once more on the banks of the Kukenam, The 
corial, that had previously taken us across further up, carried us to the 
opposiite bank, which Ave followed for a time thi'ough the dusky forest, 
until we emerged at a lovely flat wliich in the E. and S. was hemmed in 
by Mt. Waranak. Proud clusters of the magnificent Mauritui lent the 
luxuriant plain an iufinite charm : Cyperaceae in the most varied grad- 
ations of green formed the glortious carpet: Ehyncanthera , CUdemia, 
Micoma, Poh/r/ala, and RihiscHS strewed it over with white, red and 
violet flowers: the glittering sunny morning, however, with its pure 
atmosphere, increased our enthusiasm over the bright and cheerful sur- 
roundings. The road was henceforth a continually changing series of 
